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Chapter 2
is the 2nd chapter of Karneval by Touya Mikanagi. Short Summary Gareki goes to buy food after Nai awakens, but Nai, wanting to find Karoku, goes off on his own, and is haggled by thugs. He is saved by a member of the Security Force, who takes him back to their headquarters after seeing that Nai has a Circus I.D.. The chief, Jingu, sees Nai's confiscated I.D. and steals it. Bringing his killed comrade into Nai's detainment chamber, Jingu frames Nai for his murder, and Nai runs away. Gareki catches up with him, and the two form an elaborate plot to get the I.D. back. After infiltrating the Security Force Headquarters, Gareki discovers that Jingu plans on selling the I.D. on the black market. The two eventually intercept Jingu, getting the I.D. back in the process, and disrupt his deal, resulting in Jingu being attacked. Nai and Gareki then escape on a train, unknowingly boarding during a hijacking. Long Summary Following his collapse, Nai stirs after Gareki gives him water, and the man demands the boy not to move, declaring that he's leaving to get him some food. Nai falls back asleep shortly after, and dreams of the time he found Karoku's Circus I.D. in a pool of blood. Nai then awakens, and begins to ask Gareki where Circus is, not knowing that his friend is out. Having traded in Mine's valuables, Gareki ventures to the market and, after being picked on by the vendor, buys several meat-products. Concurrently, Nai is being haggled by a group of thugs, who have tricked him, claiming to have shown him where Circus is, and demand that he hand them Karoku's I.D., much to Nai's chagrin. The thugs, however, run away when a member of the Security Force arrives. The forceman then panics when he sees Karoku's Circus I.D., and brings Nai over to the station. Upon arriving at the station, the chief of the Security Force, Jingu, tells his partner that his fears were for nothing, as the I.D. is most certainly a counterfeit. Jingu's attitude, however, quickly changes when his partner shows him the data, which confirms the I.D. as a legitimate Circus item. Maliciously grinning, Jingu asks his partner, after he states that he will investigate the matter more, if he has reported his findings to anyone else, which he claims not to have, prompting Jingu to darkly stare at the man. In his detainment chamber, Nai, confused, believes that the station is Circus, and that he will meet Karoku. When door opens, Nai's pleasure at thinking he has found Karoku all but disappears as the officer who found Nai, now dead, is thrown into the chamber. Jingu then runs up to Nai and gives the boy the gun he used, effectively turning Nai into the prime murder suspect. Nai is then frightened by Jingu's words, mentally equating him to Mine, and runs away. Jingu, on the other hand, thinks nothing of Nai's fleeing, and calls his fellow officers, informing them that Nai has escaped with a gun, and falsely informing them that it was he who shot their comrade, prompting the officers to shoot at Nai on sight. Back at their hiding place, Gareki returns, finding Nai to have left, leaving him livid. Meanwhile, Tsukumo and the suited man reach Mine's mansion, only to find it in tatters, with the man declaring the investigation to have closed. As Tsukumo gazes at Mine's dead body, the man calls an unknown individual, and, after a moment of listening to the person's words, states that he understands. Elsewhere in Karasuna, Nai manages to outrun his pursuers, but is found and pinned to a nearby wall by Gareki, who begins lividly reprimanding Nai for his insubordination. Afterwards, Gareki pulls out Nai's wanted poster, calling him an idiot. Gareki's attitude, however, quickly changes when Nai informs him that Jingu took the Circus I.D., and that he only wanted to see Karoku. Hearing this, Gareki, ironically, tells Nai that to survive in the world, one must be dirty, and to not play by rules, declaring that someone like Nai, who is too easily trusting, is the quickest to die. Nai then incorrectly states he understands, and says that he'll be dirty, like Gareki, prompting the man to grind his knuckles into Nai's head, comically telling him that he meant for the boy to wisen up. Gareki then throws a new pair of clothes at Nai, ordering him to change, stating that they're going to retrieve the Circus I.D. Now disguised, Gareki asks Nai to detonate an explosive and to hide in a prearranged location after five minutes. As Gareki infiltrates the Security Force station, Nai realizes that he doesn't know what "five minutes" means. Twenty minutes later, as Gareki's tour of the station ends, Nai presses the button, detonating the explosive. With the entire Security Force's attention now diverted, Gareki enters Jingu's office, and prepares to search for the I.D., but Jingu himself walks in, prompting Gareki to hide. Stating that he going to the scene is too risky, Jingu sits down at his desk, and, hiding in the closet behind him, Gareki spots the information of the exchange on Jingu's computer monitor. With their operation over, Gareki retrieves Nai, and the two return to their hiding location. Upon sitting down, Gareki explains that Nai's notions are incorrect, informing him that Circus is a group, not a place, and that Karoku is mostly likely with Circus, as the bracelet is their identification. Gareki then asks Nai why he wants to find Karoku so much, to which Nai answers that they were always together. Gareki then asks Nai about his parents, to which he inquisitively repeats the word. Nai then explains that he was lonely one day, so he went to look for Karoku, but found pools of "red water" leading to the sea, and the Circus I.D. lying in said pools. Gareki, amazed that Nai doesn't know what blood is, Gareki concludes that Karoku is most likely dead; not a member of Circus, and wonders if Nai will be of any use to him, contemplating cutting him off. Gareki, however, decides not to forego with this plan, as Jingu will get what he wants. Gareki then explains to Nai, as a wanted man and the crime's only witness, that he cannot testify, he will be accused of the crime, and he cannot come into contact with either the Security Force or Circus. Gareki then states that he cannot move out in the open, but that they'll take the I.D. back tomorrow, just before the deal takes place, and that once they are finished, he'll drop Nai off at a safe place. Nai then asks Gareki what he'll do, as without him, he'll be lonely, further stating that Gareki is a nice person. Gareki then asks if there will be a reward for him if he comes along, asking for Karoku's Circus I.D. Nai then agrees to give Gareki the I.D. as long as Karoku says it's alright. The next night, as Jingu approaches the meeting point, he spots Nai standing in the road and attempts to kill him, as if he calls the Security Force, the dealers will think he ratted them out, but Gareki intervenes, bumping into Jingu, stating that the boss is waiting for him. As Nai shivers in against a wall, Gareki takes the now-repossessed I.D. out of his pocket and throws it towards Nai, earning Gareki a "thanks". Gareki activates an alarm he planted in the warehouse, making the dealers think that Jingu betrayed them. With that, a single gunshot is heard. At a train station, with Nai disguised once more, Gareki derides Nai for his slow speed, declaring that if they miss the train, another won't arrive for half a day. As it begins moving again, Gareki pushes Nai through an open window, and then follows suit, bringing himself into the car. However, completely oblivious to the hijacking that they've walked into, Nai thinks of Karoku, wondering if they'll ever see each other again. Characters in Order of Appearance Characters in bold denote the character's proper appearance Characters in italic are only seen briefly and have yet to make a proper appearance. #Nai #Gareki #'Food Vendor' #'Security Forceman' #'Jingu' #Mine (flashback) #Hirato #Tsukumo Magic Magic in bold denotes the magic's first appearance. *None Navigation Category:Chapters